Exclusive: United Way Bay Area appoints first Black CEO in 102-year history

The anti-poverty nonprofit United Way Bay Area (UWBA) will announce a new CEO Monday, Axios has learned — its first Black leader since the organization was founded over 100 years ago.

Why it matters: Keisha Browder will head the nonprofit as it seeks to meet its goal of helping at least 1 million Bay Area residents access pathways to economic security in a region with some of the largest income disparities in the nation.

• Her appointment also comes as women of color remain underrepresented in nonprofit leadership.

Driving the news: Browder joins UWBA after serving as CEO of United Way Santa Cruz County for six years, UWBA exclusively told Axios.

• Her tenure there "is a testament to her understanding of United Way's unique ability to mobilize a region to meet community needs," Gioia McCarthy, chair of the UWBA board of directors, said in a statement shared with Axios.
• In her new role, Browder will lead strategic partnerships in the community and oversee resource development, programming and financial operations. She starts Monday.
• A Bay Area resident for over 10 years, Browder also serves on the Gilroy Housing Coalition and co-chairs the United Way Statewide Public Policy Committee.

What she's saying: "The Bay Area is a place where many thrive while others barely survive," Browder told Axios.

• A 2022 San Francisco Chronicle analysis found that the top 5% of earners in San Francisco make nearly 11 times more than the bottom 20%.

State of play: Browder's work with United Way Santa Cruz County included efforts to bolster youth substance use prevention, improve demographics data collection, distribute resource kits for local immigrants and increase grants to groups led by people of color.

• "I'm ready to take a lot of the best practices that I've implemented in Santa Cruz and scale it here," she said.

Between the lines: While she called the historic nature of her appointment "an amazing honor," Browder also said, "I'm definitely going to make sure that I'm not the last."

• "You do get this feeling that you're being watched, for good or bad, and I'm OK with that because I want ... to shine the light on the impact."

The big picture: UWBA was founded in 1922 to assist people living in poverty and dismantle its root causes across the Bay Area's nine counties.

• Over the decades, the nonprofit has spearheaded the development of the 211 local helpline, provided financial management services to families in need and funded rental assistance and eviction prevention efforts.
• It currently has a $25 million operating budget and a staff of about 60 people.
• Browder succeeds interim CEO Kelly Batson, who stepped in after Kevin Zwick departed from the role in February.